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Value of dual energy computed tomography with material decomposition algorithm in assessing intestinal creeping fat in Crohn’s disease
Li-Wei Dong, Hui-Juan Chen, Department of Radiology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University Hainan Hospital, Haikou 570311, Hainan Province, China
Chao-Chao Chen, Cheng Lan, Department of Gastroenterology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University Hainan Hospital, Haikou 570311, Hainan Province, China
Author contributions: Dong LW performed most of the experiments; Dong LW, Chen HJ, and Chen CC collected and analyzed the data; Dong LW and Lan C wrote the manuscript; Lan C supervised and coordinated the project; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82060102 and No. 82560109; Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province, High-level Personnel Program, No. 822RC818; and Research Project of Health Industry in Hainan Province, No. 20A200172.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Hainan General Hospital, approval No. [2023] 627.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Cheng Lan, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University Hainan Hospital, No. 19 Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou 570311, Hainan Province, China.
Received: April 14, 2026
Revised: May 10, 2026
Accepted: May 19, 2026
Published online: June 28, 2026
Processing time: 71 Days and 20.8 Hours
Revised: May 10, 2026
Accepted: May 19, 2026
Published online: June 28, 2026
Processing time: 71 Days and 20.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study evaluated the utility of dual-source computed tomography with the material decomposition algorithm in quantifying intestinal creeping fat (CrF) in Crohn’s disease (CD). Patients with active and quiescent CD underwent clinical, endoscopic, and imaging assessments. Our results demonstrate that the volume of CrF strongly correlates with clinical, endoscopic, and histological scores for both inflammation and fibrosis. Moreover, we also found that higher CrF volume is associated with increased expression of the adipogenic factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 and reduced levels of the barrier protein occludin, providing a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing disease activity and treatment response.